The invention relates to providing extended access to, an automatic call distributing system.
Automatic call distributing systems (ACDs) are used to distribute incoming telephone calls from outside telephones to available agents.
Example s of ACDs are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,036,535; 5,168,515; 5,271,058; 5,274,700; 5,299,260; 5,291,492; 5,333,133, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
In one aspect, the invention features, in general, a new way of establishing a telephone call between an outside telephone and an agent station. The outside telephone is associated with an outside computer that is connected to a public computer network and is used to request a call with an agent. The request is received at a server connected to the public computer network and is communicated by the server to a call router device that monitors the status of agent stations connected to a telephone network. The call router identifies an available agent station, and signals are sent to establish a telephone call from the outside telephone to the available agent.
Certain implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following features. In certain implementations, the server sends information regarding the request to the call router for use in selecting an appropriate agent station; such information can include calling line identification, and information entered at the outside computer. The call router is connected to the telephone network and monitors agent status by end-to-end messages sent from the agent stations over the telephone network to the call router. The server sends a dial sequence instruction to the outside computer to dial the available agent station. Alternatively, the server sends an instruction to display a phone number for the available outside agent at the outside computer, and the user establishes the telephone call from the outside telephone to the available agent station. When the agent station receives an indication of an incoming call from an outside telephone, it sends a message to the call router, and the call router sends a message to the agent station authorizing the agent station to receive the call. In some implementations screen sharing is established between the agent station and the outside computer over the public computer network.
In certain implementations, the public computer network is the internet, the outside computer has a web browser, and the server is a web server. The request for a call with an agent is made from a web page. A web page is used to enter form input data sent from the outside computer to the web server and from the web server to the call router.
In certain implementations the outside telephone and the outside computer are connected to the public telephone network via a common modem, and the outside computer is connected to the internet via an internet access provider. In certain other implementations the outside telephone is connected via one line to thepublic telephone network; the outside computer is connected via a modem to another line to the public telephone network, and the outside computer is connected to the internet via an internet access provider. In other implementations the outside telephone is connected via one line to the public telephone network, and the outside computer is connected to the internet via a local area network card.
In certain implementations the telephone network through which the outside telephone and the agent station are connected is the public telephone network. Alternatively the telephone network through which the outside telephone and the agent station are connected includes the internet; the outside telephones are internet phones; and the agent stations have internet phones. In other implementations, the outside telephone or a telephone at the agent station is an internet phone; the other phone is a conventional phone; and the telephone network includes the public telephone network, the internet and a converter device connected between the public telephone network and the internet.
In certain implementations, after an available agent has been identified, the user at the outside telephone is optionally informed of the location (e.g., area code) of the available agent and optionally given a period of time to confirm that a call should be made to the available agent station by entering a control on a graphical user interface. The graphical user interface also includes a cancel button.
In certain implementations there are a plurality of call routers that each have associated agent stations connected to the telephone network, and the request for an available agent is communicated as an offer message to the call routers. After identifying an available agent station to handle the request, a bid message identifying the available agent is sent from one or more of the call routers to the server. The server sends a give message to one of the call routers that have sent a bid message and a cancel message to any other call routers that have sent a bid message.
In certain implementations the agent station is an automated attendant. The call router can additionally identify an alternative non-agent station resource (voice mail post office box or an automated call distributor that is different than the call router), and a telephone call can be established from the outside telephone to the non-agent station resource.
Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following advantages. By having the call made from the outside telephone, telephone charges of the business operating the call distributing system are reduced. A single ACD can process both incoming telephone calls and requests made via the internet. Also, a telephone call effectively is in the queue of the ACD before any real telephone call is made, and a call is not made until a ready agent is found, reducing telephone charges for the outside telephone user.
Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof and from the claims.